Bottle conveyer



F. P. PERKINS BOTTLE CON'YEYER July 3, 1934.

Filed July l2O. 1952 INVENTOR.

Q M/M Patented July 3, 1934 BOTTLE CONVEYER Frank P. Perkins, Waukesha, Wis., assigner to Michael Yundt Company, Waukesha, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin i Application July 20, 193,2, Serial No. 623,464

4 Claims. (Cl. ISS- 189) This invention relates in general to conveyors and more particularly to conveyers designed for carrying bottles from one place to another, as, for example, from a bottle washing machine to a bottle filling machine.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a conveyer of this character which is laterally flexible in that it may be caused to change its course, that is, the direction in which the conveyer moves may be changed by causing the conveyer to travel in a guide which is appropriately curved. With a conveyer embodying the present invention 90 turns maybe made if desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bottle conveyer having these advantages and which is simple and durable in construction, reliable and eiective in operation and easy and comparatively inexpensive to manufacture and install.

Other objects and'advantages reside in certain novel features of the construction, arrangement and combination oi parts which will `be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Figure l is a perspective view showing a bottle conveyer embodying the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the conveyer, the guide-way therefor being omitted;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure l but showing the conveyer in bottom plan;

Figure i is a view partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal vertical section illustrating the manner in whichthe sections of the conveyer are interconnected; and

Figure 5 is a view in section taken on line 5 5 of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that a conveyer embodying the present invention includes the usual stand or frame l. The stand l includes the conventional grooved top 2 for supporting the upper run of the conveyer and a lower supporting member 3'which supports the lower run of/the conveyer. The conveyer is of the link belt type and is designated generally at 4. At the ends of the stand the link belt conveyer 4 is trained about sprocket wheels 5, one oi which is driven from any suitable source of power.

As clearly shown in Figures 2 to 5, each main link L of the conveyer has a flat top 6 on which the article to be conveyed, as, for example, the bottom of a bottle, rests and has parallel vertical sides 7, portions ofwhich are dat and serves as guides when engaged with and traveling along the side walls of the groove in the top 2 of the stand. The sides 7 are formed with at undersurfaces 7' which ride along theoor of the groove in the top member of the stand. 'Ihe u at top wall 6 of the main links are co-extensive with the length and width of the main links so as to provide article supporting surfaces for the chain commensurate with the width and length of the main links. The side walls of the main links terminate at or are confined within the ends of the top walls oi` said links to avoid projection o1 the side walls beyond the ends of the links to interfere with the connection of the links in the chain to be hereinafter described. l

A pair of connecting links is provided between the adjacent ends oi adjacent main links, the connecting links being designated at 8 and 9. The link 8 extends in between the vertical sides 7 of the main link with which it is associated and is pivotally connected thereto for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis by means of a pivot pin 10. The pin 10 passes not only through a pivot opening in the link 8 but also through alined pivot openings ln the side vmembers 7. The side members 'l are recessed as at 11 to accommodate the head of the pin 10 and a cotter pin 12 which holds it in position. The link 9 is similarly interiitted with and pivotally connected to the adjacent end of the adjacent main link by means of a horizontal pivot pin 13. The link 9 ls forked or bifurcated as indicated at 14 and inV between the arms of the fork a tongue-like extension l5 on the link 8 is fitted. The bifurcated portion of the link 9 and the tongue-like extension 15 of the link 8 are pivotally connected together by means of a rivet or pivot pin 16 which extends vertically when the links are in the upper run of the conveyer. The connecting links as shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 have a width and height no greater than the corresponding dimensions of the channels of the main links. Thus when the connecting links are disposed between the main links, the connecting links will lie wholly below the top walls of the main links and inside of the outer side surfaces of the side walls of said links and above the lower edges of the side walls whereby the side walls provide the lateral guiding and lower supporting surfaces of the chain.

The portions 17 of the links 8 and 9 are rounded to coact with the teeth 5 of the sprocket wheels 5 so that the teeth of the sprocket wheels coact with these portions 17 to drive or guide the conveyer.

With this typev of construction, the conveyer may be caused to travel in one direction for a part of its extent and in another direction for the remainder of its extent, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2. The pivot pins 16 permit adjacent main links to change their angular relation with respect to each other. The connection between the main links is broadly a universal one.

While I have shown and described one construction itis to be understood that this construction has been selected merely for the purpose of illustration and that various changes may be made in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts without departing i'rom the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. An article conveying chain, comprising main links havingl top and side walls, the top walls being relatively ilat and substantially co'- extensive with the length and Width of the main,

links to provide the article supporting surfaces of the chain. the side walls terminating at the ends of the top walls and spaced apart to provide channels lengthwise of the main links beneath said top walls, and pairs of connecting links between adjacent .ends of adjacent main links, said connecting links having a width and a height no greater than the corresponding dimensions of the channels of the main links so that when disposed between the main links the connecting links will lie wholly below the top walls of the main links and inside of the outer side surfaces of the side walls of said links and above the lower edges of said side walls, whereby the side walls. provide the lateral guiding and the lower supporting surfaces of the chain, said connecting links h aving their inner ends fitting in the channels of the main links and pivoted to the side walls of the main links inwardly of the ends of the top walls of the main links on axes at right angles to said side walls, the outer ends of the connecting links extending outwardly of the channels to space the main links apart and pivoted together in the spaces between the main links on axes at right angles to the pivotal connection of the connecting links with the main links.

2. An article conveying chain, comprising main links having top and side walls, the top walls being relatively flat and substantially co-extensive with the length and width of the main links to provide the article supporting surfaces of the chain, the side walls being confined to the length of the top walls and spaced apart to provide channels lengthwise of the main links beneath said top walls, and pairs of connecting links between adjacent ends of adjacent main links, said connecting links having a width and a height no greater than the corresponding dimensions of the cham nels of the main links so that when disposed between the main links the connecting links will lie wholly below the top walls of the mainlinks and inside of the outer side surfaces of the side walls of said links and above the loweredges of said side walls, whereby the side wallsf provide the lateral guiding and the lower supporting surfaces of the chain, said connecting links having their inner ends iitting in the channels of the main links and pivoted to the side walls of the main links inwardly of the endsof the top walls of the main links on axes at right angles to said aide walls, the outer ends of the connecting links extending outwardly of the channels to space the links apart and pivoted together in the spaces between themain links on axes at right angles to the pivotal connection of the connecting `links with the main links, the top walls of the main .links having straight side edges and the lateral guiding surfaces of the side walls of the main links -following said straight 'side edges and being substantially co-planar therewith.

3. Anfarticle conveying chain, comprising main links having relatively at top and side walls, the

top walls being substantially co-extensive with the length and width of the main links to provide thev article supporting surfaces of the chain, the side walls being within the length of the top walls and spaced apart to provide channels lengthwise of the main links beneath said top walls, and pairs of connecting links between adjacent ends oi adjacent main links, said connecting links having a width and a height no greater than the corresponding dimensions of the channels of the main links so that whendisposed between the main links the connecting links will lie wholly below the top walls of the main links and inside of the outer side surfaces of the side walls of said links and above thelower edges of said side walls, whereby the side walls provide the lateral guiding and the lower supporting surfaces of the chain, said connecting links having their inner ends fitting in the channels of the main links and pivoted to the side walls of the main links inwardly of the ends of the top walls of the main links on axes at right angles to said side walls, the outer ends of the connecting links extending outwardly of the channels to space vthe main links apart and pivoted together in the spaces between the main links on axes at right angles to the pivotal connection of the connecting links' with the main links, the inner ends of the connecting links in the channels being rounded to provide surfaces to co-operate with the teeth of the sprocket wheels entering the channels,` of the main links in driving the chain. 4. An article conveying chain, comprising main links having relatively flat top and side walls, the top walls being substantially co-extensive with the length and width of the main links to provide the article supporting surfaces of the chain, the side walls terminating at the ends of the top walls ,and spaced apart to provide channels lengthwise of the main links beneath said top walls, and pairs of connecting links between adjacent ends of adjacent main links, said connecting links having a width and a height no greater than the corresponding dimensions of the channels of the main links so that when disposed between the main links the connecting links will lie wholly below the top walls of the main links and inside of the outer side surfaces of the side walls of said links and above the lower edges of said side walls, whereby the side walls provide the lateral guiding and the lower supporting surfaces` of the chain, said connecting links having their inner ends fitting in the channels of the main links and pivoted to the side walls of the main links inwardly of the ends of the top walls of the main links on axes at right angles to said side walls', the outer ends of the connecting links extending outwardly of the channels to space the main links apart and pivoted together in the spaces between the main links on axes at right angles to the pivotal connection of the connecting links-with the main links, the sidewalls of the main links having recesses in the outer sides thereof to receive the heads and the connecting means. respectively, of the pivot pins of the connecting links engaged with said side walls to space said heads and connecting means inwardly FRANK P. PERKINS. 

